> Really?  Wasn't the duration of "The Cold War" pretty much 
> concurrent
> with the period of the largest economic, technological, 
> and
> scientific growth anywhere, ever?  Probably social and 
> philosophical
> too; there's nothing quite like a contrasting opinion...

Maybe the second greatest.

The period of greatest scientific and technological growth 
ever is, ...
drum roll ...
ta da ...

The nineteenth century - maybe extend that up until say 
1930.

Obviously arguable. But (as I believe I've noted here 
before) in there you have atom splitting modern electricity, 
wireless, IC engine, automobile, flight, discovery of most 
of and all the undiscovered elements, splitting the atom, 
quantum mechanics, LASER predicted (Einstein about ? 1905?), 
Einstein!, plastics, ... . Even the war to end all wars! The 
personally richest person to have ever lived so far (WG eat 
your heart out?) in terms of their day lived then (if we 
ignore people like eg GK or AtG or the Caesars who 
essentially personally 'owned' empires.

Quite a period in manunkind's development.

Vaguely related question:    Napoleon's dinnerset for his 
top guests was made of gold. His personal dinnerset was made 
of a metal more precious. Not anything like Platinum, 
Silver, Rhodium, Palladium etc. Something that nowadays 
would be a non starter. What was it made of?



        Russell.




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